Sylvester Stallone has just purchased the rights to produce a movie about
Formula One racing from his Majesty Bernie Ecclestone. A big screen, big
budget flick will start production in 1998 and may have something to do
with Bernie trying to find a venue for a U.S. grand prix.

Chrylser Corp feels that the vintage racing enthusiast is a good MOPAR
prospect, so it has arranged to become title sponsor of several
prominent vintage car race weekends and classic car auctions in 1997.
Starting with Tustin Thunder next weekend in Tustin, California, Chrysler
will be a part of the Monterey Historics, California Mille miglia, Wine
Country classic, Meadowbrooke Concours, and the great Pebble Beach
Concours d'Elegance, August 17.

They certainly are not asleep at Chrysler--while all of the above is
shaping up, the company will debut the new Plymouth Prowler to the
press July 29 to kick off the first six L.A. deliveries of the exotic
retro-roadster.

There will be another Can Am reunion at Watkins Glen Sept. 5-7 as part
of the Zippo U.S. Vintage Grand prix weekend and at least two dozen
ground pounders are expected to compete.

IRL standout Tony Stewart is showing he has some of that old Parnelli
Jones/Mario Andretti/A.J. Foyt versatility: he won the feature race
for USAC midgets at Beaver Dam, WI last week.

FF2000 is looking like a pretty viable USAC race series as the eighth
driver in eight races won last weekend at Charlotte when Ryan Hampton
brought his Van Diemen Ford home first in the 48 mile featch. The
Glendora, Ca chauffeur beat Matt Sielsky, Indianapolis, by less than
three seconds.

In IRL action only one Infiniti motor made it to the grid at Charlotte,
and Dr. Jack Miller went out early and left the race to Olds powered
G-Force and Dallara racers. Now comes the highly successful Riley and
Scott race car building operation and they will debut their new IRL
chassis at the August 17 New Hampshire 200 mile race. Add Tony
Stewart: He will try a Joe Gibbs stock car at IRP next weekend in the
Kroger 200.

Lola Cars has really taken a dump this year. U.S. distributor Carl
Haas bailed out, and the new chassis can't hack it in CART racing, as
the few teams that purchased the once respected Lola tubs have thrown
them away and gone to Reynard. Lola tried to field a F-1 team and
couldn't raise the money. Now they've reorganized, and founder Eric
Broadley is OUT.

Michigan 500 winner Alex (Zig Zag) Zanardi says that some race tracks
have to do some reflecting on how they have been laid out as there are
too few passing zones. "Give us passing areas and we'll give you a
show," says Alex. He said Elkhart Lake Road America needs more runoff
areas. He's right. Ask A.J. Foyt, who crashed big time at the end of
turn one a few years ago, Turn 5 is OK, but Canada corner needs work.

Drag Racing teen age whiz, Christen Powell is running selected races
this year. In 1998 when she is officially out of high school she
will make an all out assualt on Top Fuel in NHRA. Even at that she has
two wins to one over big time racer Kenny Bernstein for 1997.
Something is brewing race track development-wise in the Chicago
area. A bunch of Chi town polls visited Pecan last week for the NASCAR
event, including George Ryan, Secy. of State and Peter Wurtz of the
Chicago Blackhawk owning family.

Would you believe Hiro Matushita finished ninth at Michigan last
Sunday? Surely his best racing day ever.

The poor Toyota powered cars have been down EXACTLY 10 mph in every
race, and Michigan was no exception. Pruett's pole was 231 mph and
Fangios was 221 mph.

The land speed record for electric cars currently stands at 183.822 mph, set
by Clive Roberts in March, 1994. Now Ed Dempsey, President of World
Record Performance Associates, WRPA, is putting a team together to try
for 200 mph. He will hit the salt at Wendover, Utah August 16-22. Good
luck.

BMW is now certifying used cars through their dealership
network. They will be warranteed.

The Professional SportsCar Racing association has been active and Andy
Wallace won the WSC class at Sears Point last week driving a Riley &
Scott Ford. Second went to another R&S Ford with Fermin Velez Ferrari
333SP third. Doc Bundy driving a Panoz roaster won the Exxon Supreme
GT class.

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